Winery Visit to Van Ruiten Family Vineyards
Winery Visit to Van Ruiten Family Vineyards
The Rossmoor Wine and Food Society visited Van Ruiten Family Vineyards in Lodi, CA on on Thursday, October 13, 2016 . The Van Ruiten Family has been grape growers for over 50 years and in 1999, branched into winemaking and the first varietals of Van Ruiten wine went into production.
Our visit will began with a seated wine tasting in the barrel room featuring six of the winery’s signature wines. We tasted the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, with aromas of lemon, melon and apple, then proceed, to the 2015 Pinot Grigio, with aromas of fig, mango and tangerine. Flavors of apple, melon and honey lead to a soft mid-palate and finish with a dried apricot note. The final white wine tasting will be the 2015 Chardonnay, with aromas of green apple, tangerine and butter. Flavors of pear, apple, citrus and hints of oak nicely balance with bright acidity along with a finish that lingers with a subtle butterscotch note. We’ll then taste three red wines, including their non-traditional Cabernet-Shiraz blend, which is one of the family’s most popular wines. The 2013 Cab-Shiraz blend is rich and full-bodied, yet very approachable. The nose is filled with dried fruit and assorted dark berries. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is handpicked from John Van Ruiten Sr.’s “Home Ranch”. The aromas are rich with black cherry, earth, cedar and plum. Barrel flavors of dark chocolate and dusty tannins round out the finish. We completed our tasting with a soft yet structured 2013 Old Vine Zinfandel displaying flavors of blackberry, blueberry and red cherry, with notes of dark chocolate and tobacco playing underneath.
Lunch catered by B & T Catering was a traditional smoked and grilled meal featuring Tri-Tip-Santa Maria Style and Chicken Breasts, each seasoned and cooked to perfection, accompanied by Roasted Red Potatoes with Garlic, Olive Oil and Butter, a Mediterranean Blend of Colorful Vegetables, a Green Salad featuring a blend of lettuces with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Croutons with Ranch or Italian Dressings, Dinner Rolls and Butter. The dessert, was a light four-layer cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream.
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The Rossmoor Wine and Food Society visited Van Ruiten Family Vineyards in Lodi, CA on on Thursday, October 13, 2016 . The Van Ruiten Family has been grape growers for over 50 years and in 1999, branched into winemaking and the first varietals of Van Ruiten wine went into production.
Our visit will began with a seated wine tasting in the barrel room featuring six of the winery’s signature wines. We tasted the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, with aromas of lemon, melon and apple, then proceed, to the 2015 Pinot Grigio, with aromas of fig, mango and tangerine. Flavors of apple, melon and honey lead to a soft mid-palate and finish with a dried apricot note. The final white wine tasting will be the 2015 Chardonnay, with aromas of green apple, tangerine and butter. Flavors of pear, apple, citrus and hints of oak nicely balance with bright acidity along with a finish that lingers with a subtle butterscotch note. We’ll then taste three red wines, including their non-traditional Cabernet-Shiraz blend, which is one of the family’s most popular wines. The 2013 Cab-Shiraz blend is rich and full-bodied, yet very approachable. The nose is filled with dried fruit and assorted dark berries. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is handpicked from John Van Ruiten Sr.’s “Home Ranch”. The aromas are rich with black cherry, earth, cedar and plum. Barrel flavors of dark chocolate and dusty tannins round out the finish. We completed our tasting with a soft yet structured 2013 Old Vine Zinfandel displaying flavors of blackberry, blueberry and red cherry, with notes of dark chocolate and tobacco playing underneath.
Lunch catered by B & T Catering was a traditional smoked and grilled meal featuring Tri-Tip-Santa Maria Style and Chicken Breasts, each seasoned and cooked to perfection, accompanied by Roasted Red Potatoes with Garlic, Olive Oil and Butter, a Mediterranean Blend of Colorful Vegetables, a Green Salad featuring a blend of lettuces with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Croutons with Ranch or Italian Dressings, Dinner Rolls and Butter. The dessert, was a light four-layer cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream.
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